Addiction takes life of UMass prez nephew, 30

The nephew of University of Massachusetts President Martin T. Meehan died last Saturday, “worn down” after a long battle with drug addiction, the family said in an obituary.

Paul Patrick Meehan Jr., 30, of Tyngsboro, leaves behind three children and his wife.

“After many years of fighting his battle with addiction, Paul regretfully has been taken from us. Paul was working as hard as anyone ever has to beat a relentless and brutal opponent, and the battle simply wore him down,” the obituary said.

“We pray that the hearts and minds of this world open to see that people like Paul are of value, loved deeply, and are worth fighting this epidemic for. Peace and love to all who knew his pain and our sorrow.”

UMass President Meehan declined to comment on the family matter late Tuesday.

Meehan’s death comes as addiction to drugs, especially opioids, have resulted in fatal overdoses that last year along killed more than 1,200 people, according to the Department of Public Health. Gov. Charlie Baker has organized a task force to address the epidemic.

Funeral services will be held Friday at the Dracut Funeral Home on Lakeview Avenue in Dracut, followed by a funeral Mass at St. Michael’s Church in Lowell. He will be buried at St. Patrick’s Cemetery in Lowell.

The family requests that donations are made to Zack’s Team Foundation, a Billerica foundation that provides funds for people in the Greater Lowell to go to drug addiction treatment centers.